BLANKENBERGE - The brothers Peter and Bart Ceulemans and Kurt (the uncle of the two) face off tonight (Friday) and Saturday in the final stages of the Belgian three-cushion championships. Sixteen players are left after the preliminary rounds for the eighth finals. Eddy Merckx, Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans, among others, appear in the arena at 21.00 tonight. Peter De Backer and Peter Ceulemans were the winners of the final rounds in the group stage on Thursday night.
The balk-line disciplines and one cushion are heading for the climax. The artistic players were in full swing on Thursday, while on Friday the 5 pins players continue the race towards the finals. Eric Daelman, making his come-back after his announced farewell, leads the rankings in artistic ahead of Walter Bax. Peter Debaes and Ismaele Trentino are the leaders in 5-pins.
For the Belgian titles in the classical games, Patrick Niessen, Peter De Backer and Maarten Janssen are major contenders for the top podium spots. Patrick Niessen leads the rankings in free game, 47/2, 71/2 and one cushion, Peter De Backer leads in 47/1.
The final group standings in three-cushion:
Group A:
1 Peter Ceulemans 4-1,538-8
2 Henk Blauwblomme 2-0.878-5
3 Marc Celen 2-0.833-4
4 Paul Wallerand 0-0.650-5
Group D:
1 Peter De Backer 6-1,445-10
2 Danny Wuyts 4-1,102-7
3 Philippe Vandendriessche 2-1,142-7
4 Koen Saver 0-0.978-7.
The winners of the groups with averages are:
1 Eddy Merckx 1.846
2 Jef Philipoom 1.563
3 Peter Ceulemans 1,538
4 Roland Forthomme 1.454
5 Peter De Backer 1,445
6 Steven van Acker 1,363
7 Frédéric Mottet 1.303
8 Francis Forton 1,090
The numbers two:
9 Ronny Brants 1,425
10 Davy van Havere 1,239
11 Johan Loncelle 1.204
12 Kurt Ceulemans 1,114
13 Danny Wuyts 1,102
14 Marco Janssen 1,080
15 Henk Blauwblomme 0.869
16 Bart Ceulemans 0.780.
The eighth finals:
Friday 21.00:
Merckx-Loncelle
Peter Ceulemans-Janssen
Forthomme-Van Havere
Mottet-Wuyts
Saturday 21.00:
Philipoom-Brants
Forton-Bart Ceulemans
De Backer-Kurt Ceulemans
Van Acker-Blauwblomme
The standings in the various disciplines:
Free game:
1 Patrick Niessen 2-4-114.28-400
2 Maarten Janssen 2-3-47.05-393
3 Johan Devos 1-28.57-144
4 Philippe Deraes 0-36.70-221
Niessen-Jansen
Balk-line 47/2:
1 Patrick Niessen 3-6-68.18-246
2 Maarten Janssen 3-4-34.27-147
3 Philippe Deraes 3-2-25.69-92
4 Johan Devos 3-0-9.65-72
Niessen-Janssen
Balk-line 47/1:
1 Peter De Backer 3-6-15.51-52
2 Patrick Niessen 3-4-20.10-84
3 Maarten Janssen 3-2-12.50-61
4 Philippe Deraes 3-0-9.25-93
De Backer-Niessen
Balk-line 71/2:
1 Patrick Niessen 2-4-21.05-100
2 Philippe Deraes 2-4-18.18-104
3 Peter De Backer 2-0-14.76-64
4 Maarten Janssen 2-0-11.25-45
Two matches to go, two times Niessen-Deraes
One cushion:
1 Patrick Niessen 2-4-6.85-31
2 Francis Forton 2-4-5.58-33
3 Peter Debaes 2-0-3.02-17
4 Maarten Janssen 2-0-3.02-12
Twice Niessen-Forton
5-pins:
1 Peter Debaes and Ismaele Trentino with two wins
3 Patrick Engelbos and Miguel Bustos 1 win
Artistic:
1 Eric Daelman 160 figures in 85
2 Walter Bax 157 in 90
3 Erik van den Zegel 152 in 89
4 Steve Wilms 151 in 93
5 Erik Vervliet 141 in 93.
Peter Ceulemans, winner in the last three cushion groups
Peter De Backer won his group in three cushion and is in the race for 47/1 and 71/2
The five artistic players for the finals
Eric Daelman, the leader in artstic ahead of Walter Bax